AppLovin (APP) stock vs the S&P 500 and communication services stocks
As of 2 October 2026, AppLovin (APP) is among the weakest stocks we track. It is well behind the S&P 500 and behind communication services stocks as a group (XLC) over the past three months.
Where AppLovin stands now
As of 2 October 2026, AppLovin is behind the S&P 500 on every window Zensei tracks, from one month to one year. The market has preferred other stocks for some time.
Inside its group, APP lags: it is behind communication services stocks (XLC) over both the past month and three months. As a group, communication services stocks are trailing the S&P 500 right now. Stock and group are both under pressure.
AppLovin is 4.5% of XLC, so its moves weigh on the fund. It sits in 5 of the sector and theme funds Zensei tracks. The thing to watch is the past month: stocks this far behind only become interesting once the recent window turns.
APP vs the S&P 500: returns
AppLovin and the S&P 500 (SPY) side by side, over each window Zensei tracks.
Prices as of · computed from daily adjusted closes · how we measure
APP against communication services stocks, in depth
See the size of the gap between AppLovin and communication services stocks (XLC) over every window, its momentum and its relative strength, and where it sits among communication services stocks.
See the full analysisWhich ETFs hold AppLovin?
5 funds that Zensei tracks hold APP, by weight. The fund with the largest weight is its sector on this page.
AppLovin competitors
The largest other holdings of Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC), with their return over the past month.
AppLovin stock: common questions
Is AppLovin stock beating the S&P 500?
As of 2 October 2026, AppLovin (APP) is down 14.0% over the past month. The S&P 500 is up 1.3% over the same month. Over three months, the stock is down 49.1% and the S&P 500 is up 3.6%.
Which ETFs hold AppLovin?
As of 2 October 2026, 5 funds that Zensei tracks hold APP. Its largest weight is in Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC), at 4.5%. It is also in iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV, 2.7%), First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY, 1.6%), VanEck Social Sentiment ETF (BUZZ, 1.6%), SPDR S&P 1500 Momentum Tilt ETF (MMTM, 0.1%).
Who are AppLovin's competitors?
As of 2 October 2026, the largest other holdings of Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) are Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOGL), Alphabet Inc (GOOG), Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (WBD), AT&T (T). These are the stocks AppLovin sits next to among communication services stocks.
Is AppLovin doing better than other communication services stocks?
As of 2 October 2026, AppLovin (APP) is behind communication services stocks as a group (XLC) over the past three months. Zensei Edge shows the size of the gap, its momentum and its relative strength.
Track AppLovin against communication services stocks and the market
Zensei Edge maps 100+ sectors and themes against the S&P 500, with each stock inside them measured against its group.